Alternating-current machine.



PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

M. G. A. LATOUR. ALTERNATING CURRENT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21, 1905.

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MARIUS 'c. A. LATO'UR, or PARIS, F

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAniUs 'roun, a citizen of France, res have invented certain new in Alternating-Current Machin ing is a specification.

My invention RANGE, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. ALTE RN ATIN G-C'URREN T MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed January 21, 1905. Serial No. 242,087.

CuAnLns An'rn un LA- iding at Paris, France,

and useful Improvements es, of which the followrelates to alternating-current motors of the commutator type, and its object is to provide a novel arrangement of brushes for such machines, whereby the commutation may be improved.

It is well known coil of an alternating-current cuited bya brush in the art that when an armature l l r l 1 the two sets of brushes are inline, so that the motor starts like a motor with a plurality of windings and a single set of narrow brushes. When the motor is up to speed I shift one set of brushes so that the two sets which are in electrical connection have together suisame winding. Thus, at high speeds the motor acts as though it had a single winding, since none of the windings is ever open-circuitcd; but, on the contrary, at the instant of commutation.

My invention will best be understood by reference machine is short-cir- 1 'to the accompanying drawing, in which during commutation a heavy shortcircuiting current flows in the coil, due to the fluctuatingfield'which threads the coil mutation. This ing losses, reducing the efficien also produces sparking, rioration of the commutator.

short-circuit current moment of comresults in heatcy of the machine, and

at the which increases the dete- In order to avoid these losses, it has been proposed heretofore to provide the successive commutator" brushes of such width as connected to the same winding windings are used, the brushes the brushes segments, not to bridge two segments and to employ Thus, if two parallel are of a width equal to armature with a single winding are much reduced at since the motor winding armature high speeds,

while the multiple current and the field strength are diminished. Consequently the single winding gives better results at starting and at low speeds.

The object of my invention vantages of both arrangements I accomplish this end by pr parallel windings connected to is to combine theadina single machine. oviding a plurality of successive conuniftator segments in the usual manner, and two sets of brushes,

each brush being of a width in segments connected to the sam suilicient to bridge two e winding. At starting Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a development of an armature having three parallel windings and pro- 2 shows a side elevation, partly in cross-section, of an alternating-current machine arranged in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 3 is a detail of the controlling device for the brush-shifting means.

Referring first to Fig. l, A, A and A represent three parallel windings connected to successive commutator segments, winding A being shown in heavier lines to facilitate tracing its connections. These three windings are shown as of the series or wave type arranged for iour-pole machine. Obviously, my invention is not'limited to any specific type of winding, or to a machine of any given number of poles. C represents the commutator, every third segment of which is connected to one of the three windings. B 13 represent one set of brushes, which may besupported in the usual manner, as will be hereinafter 1 described. B 13 represent the second set of brushes,

each of which is electrically connected to the corresponding brush of the first set. The brushes B B are carried by a yoke D, the position of which is controlled by a magnet winding E. The brushes hav a width not greater than the width of two commutator segments, so that when the two sets of brushes arein line, as shown in Fig. 1, they cannot bridge two segments connected to the same winding. This is the positionoi the brushes at starting and during operation at low speeds. When the motor is operatinis at a higherspeed, the magnet winding E is energized and the brushes B B are shifted toward the right a distance substantially equal to the width of a commutator segment. With the brushes thus shifted, two segments connected to the same winding are electrically connected; that is, each coil is shortcircuited in undergoing commutation, and the motor operates as though it had a single-winding armature.

Fig. 2 shows a construction which may be employed in carrying out my invention. A represents the arma ture, and F the field'which is provided with field coils lnsufiicient to bridge two segments connected to the same winding, and means for magnet E.

trifugal force,

ture core, a armature f. The field coils may be either distributed or conmounted in guides d supported from the field structure F. The position of the yoke D is controlled by a "he circuit of magnet E may be controlled by a centrifugal device, such as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. H represents an arm pivoted at h and held against the stop h, when the motor is at rest, by the spring 1. The arm H carries a contact member J, which is adapted to engage the contacts 9' connected to the collector rings K. When the motor reaches a certain speed, arm H is thrown outward by censo as to bring the member .l into engagementwith the members 9', thereby electrically connecting the collector rings K. A circuit is thereby completed through magnet E, which is at once energized and shifts the brushes B to their proper position for operation at full speed. I

Obviously, any other suitable arrangement for shifting the brushes may be substituted for that shown. Accordingly, I do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts here shown, but aim in the appended claims to cover all modifications which are within the scope of my'invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. An alternating-current motor, comprising an armature core. a plurality of closed-circuit windings each distributed around said core, a many-part commutator having successive segments connected to the several armature windings, brushes bearing on said commutator of a width shifting a portion of said brushes relatively to the rest. 7 r

2. An alternating-current motor, comprising an armature core, a plurality of closed-circuit windings each distributed around said core, a many-part commutator having successive segments connected to the's'everal armature windings, brushes bearing on said commutator of a width ins'ufllc ient to bridge two segments connected tothe same winding, and automatic means for shifting a portion of said brushes relatively to the rest when the speed of the machine passes a predetermined limit. p

An alternating-current motor comprising an armawindings of the closed-circuit type each distributed around said core, a many-part commutator having successive segments connected to the several set of brushes tributed around'said core, a

- successive seo,es1

armatui'windings, brushes bearing on said commutator of a width not greater than (TL-1) segments, and means for automatically shifting a portio'nfoi said brushes circumferentially as the speed of the motor increases.

4, An alternating'current,motor, comprising an armature core, a plurality of closed-circuit windings each distributed around saidcore, a many-part commutator having successive segments connected to the several armature windings, brushes bearing on said commutator of a width insuiiicient to bridge two segments connected to the same winding, an independent support for a portion of said brushes, and speed-controlled menus for shifting saidsupport s 6. An alternating-currentmotor, comprising an passes a predetermined limit.

armal ture core, a plurality, of closed-circuit windings cach dis-- '1 11 successive segments connected to the several armature windings, brushes bearing on said commutator of 'a width insuilicient to bridge two segments connected to the same winding,. an independent support for a portiohot said brushes, an electromagnet adapted to shift said support, I

and a centrifugal device controlling the circuit of said electromagnet. r

7. An alternating-current motor,comprisii1g' an armature core, a plurality of closed-circuit windings each distributed around said core, a many-part commutator having successive segments connected to windings, two sets of brushes, each brush of one set being axially alined with and electrically-connected to a brush off the other set, the width of each brush being insuiiicient to'bridge two segments connected to the same winding, and means for shifting said sets out of line.

8. An alternating-current motor, comprising, an armature core, a plurality of closed-circuit windings each distributed around said core, a many-part commutator having segments connected to tlie several armature windings, two setsof brushes, each brush of one set being axially-alined with and electrically-connected to a brush of the other set, the width of each brush being insuilicientmany part commutator: having the several armature 

